«We are leaving behind – said Massa – an already very positive year, 2022, which saw the full restart of our entire fleet and the launch of World Europa and Seascape, two new ships among the largest, most innovative and internationally advanced, also from an environmental point of view”.
Now, he added, “we are preparing to experience a 2023 that will be decisive from all points of view, not least in terms of a significant increase in passenger movements which will reach 4 million in Italian ports alone, confirming the centrality of the Belpaese in the our strategies. At the same time we are inaugurating destinations and itineraries that make us increasingly global, such as New York and Japan».
Rising prices
With regard to sales prices, Massa underlined that “2022 was the year of the restart but it was marred by a complex first quarter, both due to the persistence of the pandemic and, from February onwards, due to the war between Russia and Ukraine. Sales only started in April with large volumes which drove prices down. In 2023, however, we returned to a fundamental asset of the sector, advanced booking. And so prices this year have returned to the pre-pandemic level and are growing.
For his part, Pierfrancesco Vago, executive chairman of MSC Cruises, on the sidelines of the presentation, commented: «Cruising is already today one of the best holiday options also in terms of sustainability. For many years we have been investing heavily in solutions and technologies that constantly and progressively reduce our environmental footprint. From 2017 to 2023, for example, we have invested over 8 billion euros in a more modern and efficient fleet, with 10 new ships that have been improved from an environmental point of view compared to the previous ones».
New spot on sustainability
As for the new advertising campaign, in support of a corporate strategy increasingly focused on sustainability, MSC has launched a new campaign entitled Discover the future of cruisingwhich will be broadcast in over 30 countries, with a multi-channel global marketing activity that includes televisions, out of homeprint, digital media and social media.